Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-channel upright reformer for a fuel cell merged with a heater, and more particularly, to a multi-channel upright reformer for a fuel cell merged with a heater which facilitates mounting of a combustor and previously prevents pressure from being dropped by configuring one or more channels in an upright cross structure to achieve an efficient reforming reaction and is manufactured with high durability and a compact size to improve economic efficiency.
Related Art
In general, a fuel cell is a generation system that directly converts chemical reaction energy of hydrogen contained in a hydrocarbon based material such as methanol, ethanol, and natural gas and oxygen into electric energy.
The fuel cell is classified into a phosphate fuel cell, a molten carbonate fuel cell, a solid oxide fuel cell, a polyelectrolyte or alkali fuel cell, and the like according to the type of electrolyte used in the fuel cell.
The respective fuel cells fundamentally operate according to the same principle, but types, operating temperatures, catalysts, and electrolytes of fuel are different from each other.
Among them, the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) as a fuel cell using solid oxide such as zirconium oxide (ZrO2) or ceria (CeO2) as electrolyte generally operates at a high temperature of 700 to 1000° C. and can be used as the generation system in that since oxide ions (O2−) are conducted, oxygen in the air electrochemically reacts even in hydrocarbon such as methane or butane as hydrogen in principle.
Further, a generation solid oxide fuel cell system includes a stack serving to produce electricity, an M-BOP serving to supply fuel to the inside of the stack and collect fuel and heat discharged and abandoned from the stack, and an E-POP serving to convert DC into AC so as to supply the produced electricity to home appliances and the mechanical balance of plants (M-BOP) includes a reformer that converts city gas as fuel of the fuel cell into hydrogen.
The reformer is a content primarily to be handled in the present invention and the reformer is a device that converts or reforms fuel containing hydrogen into hydrogen gas through a chemical catalytic reaction and in general, when a schematic configuration of the reformer is described, the reformer is constituted by a combustion reaction unit generating and supplying heat energy, generating hydrogen gas from the fuel by using the heat energy, and a carbon monoxide removing unit reducing the concentration of oxide monoxide contained in the hydrogen gas.
The reformer having the above configuration has a channel structure which is very complicatedly configured in order to increase efficiency in heat exchange as disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-0047023 (Title of Invention: FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND REFORMER USED THERETO) and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0030566 (Title of Invention: PLATE TYPE REFORMER AND FUEL CELL SYSTEM HAVING THE SAME).
That is, channels (a flow path and flow passages of water and gas) in the related art are configured in a winding form as disclosed in the prior technical data and the winding form disturbs the flow of fluids and decreases the velocity of the flow so as to maximize the efficiency in heat exchange, but a pressure drop is rather amplified and hydrogen as fuel of the stack is not smoothly supplied due to inclination to the maximization of the efficiency in heat exchange, and as a result, a problem that the stack may malfunction comes to the fore.
In particular, since the heat exchange process is performed in the channel which is winding and complicated, the volume needs to be increased for efficient heat exchange and a problem that the durability of a reactor deteriorates due to a crack by heat expansion under a high-temperature condition.
Moreover, the reformer has a structure in which it is difficult or impossible to exchange the catalyst, and as a result, exchanging the catalyst may be difficult and the catalyst is supported at one side of the channel or only a special type catalyst is configured to be used, and as a result, there is a problem that use convenience and economic efficiency are extremely low.
In addition, as disclosed in the prior art, since the fuel and vapor enter while being mixed at an inlet, when room-temperature fuel and high-temperature vapor meet, the high-temperature vapor is condensed and some of the vapor is converted into a phase of water, and as a result, a two-phase behavior is shown. This blocks the narrow and winding channel and increases internal pressure and water expanded by internal evaporation pressure further increases the internal pressure to bring about serious durability problems such as total damage of the entirety of a welded part including a crack of the welded part, thereby preventing an efficiency operation of the fuel cell.
Further, in the prior art, a water heater needs to be separately provided at a front end of the reactor, and as a result, construction cost of a system may increase and an operating method may be complicated.
In addition, as disclosed in the prior art, the reformer in the related art has a structure in which multiple disk-type plates are horizontally stacked and under such a structure, a combustor cannot be mounted, and as a result, electricity is used as a heat source or high-priced platinum is used as a combustion catalyst and the reformer is not practical and popular due to a burden such as significant economic cost.
Accordingly, a reformer for a fuel cell having a compact size, which has improved the durability of the fuel cell and the reformer configured in the fuel cell and reduces an economic cost burden and a fuel cell with the reformer are required.